Kohler Productions / Joanna Kohler

Reflecting stories that create sustainable change.

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Kohler Productions

works with intermediaries, organizations and institutions to capture compelling stories to move missions, data and people toward a common goal; storytelling for the common good. Kohler Productions is built upon the experience of Joanna Kohler and expands to for larger productions, and needs for evaluation, facilitation and communications. This allows our work to adapt to client’s needs across the spectrum from production to strategy and discovery.

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Joanna Kohler

began her career with a job as the first youth staff at The Bridge for Runaway Youth, her first board experience was with the National Network for Runaway and Homeless Youth Advisory Board in Washington D.C, and her first internship was capturing digital archives of the artwork at Yad Vashem, Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem. Her award winning documentary film work spans across topics of marginalization and equity and universal human experiences of hope, adversity and transformation. She completed a year-long training with the Institute for Cultural Affairs – participatory facilitation, New Mexico’s Media Literacy Institute and was a Fellow with the Creative Community and Leadership Institute supported by both the Bush Foundation and Intermedia Arts. Joanna’s education includes a B.A. in Social Documentary from the University of Minnesota and some graduate courses in Public Affairs from the Humphrey Institute. Outside of her work with Kohler Productions, Joanna performed as the Coordinator for the Twin Cities Youth Media Network, been a media educator for both youth and adults and served as the Board Chair for St. Paul Neighborhood Network. In addition, Joanna works as a host and producer with the Emmy Nominated TV series cineMN. These experiences and others inform Joanna’s values and the foundation of Kohler Production’s work.[/two_third]

"... I served as a documentary juror at the Cleveland International Film Festival. ... Some I loved. Others I endured. But only one transformed me. BOXERS by Joanna Kohler. I was riveted by Joanna’s mastery of storytelling and deeply moved by how much heart she was able to discover in the world of boxing and

Ali SelimWriter/Director "Sweet Land"

"Joanna has been an active member in and great asset for the MN chapter of Women in Film and Television. She was integral to a major website overhaul in 2012, … Joanna’s always been great to work with and has added to the strength of MN WIFT as an all-volunteer organization."

Carly ZuckweilerAudio Engineer: Audio ChickMinneapolis, MN

"I would recommend Kohler Productions when you are searching for a way tell a story for your stakeholders, funders, or policy makers about your programs… Kohler Productions helped us tell the story of early successes with our Youth Violence Prevention Initiative resulting in continued funding from the City Council…"

Jan FickenManager, City of Brooklyn Park

"Joanna takes an ordinary assignment and finds a way to create an extraordinary product. She has a gift for finding and telling stories in a way that connects people to the essence of what it’s all about."

"… [Joanna] immediately established rapport with the staff she interviewed, asked great questions during the interview that elicited compelling, insightful, and moving stories, listened carefully during the editing process to feedback and was able to translate the feedback into an inspired final product that was on point!…"{

Jennifer TvedtenProject Manager, Diversity & InclusionHennepin County

"…I can’t wait to work with Joanna again – she’s critical to helping us tell the story about the Library’s impact on youth and within the communities we serve."

"Joanna has built a strong reputation in town by collaborating with the best and having a strong core of creative and professional values. She puts all of her effort and heart into everything she does. If you are her client you will only get the very best."

Daniel OrozcoSupervising Producer Committee Films

"Joanna is committed to building community through education, artistic expression, and relationships. I strongly recommend Ms. Kohler, she has been a remarkable asset to anyone who has had the opportunity to work her.”"

Deanna StandingCloudAssociate Educator MPS Indian Education

"Joanna has impressive leadership skills, and a natural ability to bring people together. She chaired the SPNN board during part of my board term, and demonstrated great prowess as a facilitator and long-range thinker. Joanna is also a highly skilled storyteller who I’ve worked with on video and communications projects. She is thorough, insightful, and

Matt EhlingBoard Member Minnesota Coalition on Government Information

"She did beautiful work, on very tight timelines and with a fun, gracious, can-do attitude. I learned a lot in the process and loved the end products. I highly recommend Joanna!"

Kim VanderwallPrinciple Vanderwall Consulting

"Joanna was a fabulous asset to the Twin Cities Youth Media Network. Her skills as a facilitator and dedication to youth were commendable. She kept us on task, moving forward and always with the youth members best interest a priority. … She is also a natural teacher and mentor…"

We were fortunate to have Joanna tell the story of our youth leadership program: Lead Peace. She captured what our program is truly about in a creative and meaningful way. Joanna so genuinely respects and values youth. She is able to illicit responses from youth that are deep and insightful because they feel this respect

…[Joanna] helped with designing and supporting our production services for the past three years for the Sprockets network, and most recently, helped facilitate a dialogue looking at future directions … She has been a great bridge between the non-profit youth work and non-profit communities fields, and the independent media production field. She always has youth

Nicola PineYouth Programs Director, SPNNSt. Paul, MN

Kohler Productions is skilled at working with youth and ensuring that videos about youth programs have a strong youth voice.

Joanna was a thought partner from the very beginning in conceptualizing this project and bringing to life the stories of amazing afterschool opportunities for young people living in small and rural communities across the country.... Her energy and passion for this work was brought to every meeting we had, which contributed to such a great

Kim EisenreichSenior Associate of Afterschool Initiatives at National League of Cities

Joanna created very impactful media pieces for the Wilder Center for Communities. She is extraordinarily artistic in how she can align visual and language impact opportunities. Highly recommend Joanna.

"...collaborative... unbelievably pleased... worked well with staff and students... developed framework... highly recommend..."

Danielle GrantDirector of Indian Education: Mpls. Public SchoolsMinneapolis, MN

Joanna is a high level creative that can also pound out the smallest of details. She has the ability to find a story in every subject and tell it in the most authentic way possible. She has her pulse on every emotional aspect and it shows in her work! Did I mention her leadership and